---
name: "keyboard_getstate"
section: "3vga"
platform: "linux"
package: "svgalibg1-dev"
version: "1:1.4.3-7"
release: "Debian 3.0 (Woody)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/keyboard_getstate/3vga"
---

# keyboard\_getstate(3vga)

get a pointer to a buffer holding the state of all keys in raw keyboard mode

## NAME

keyboard\_getstate - get a pointer to a buffer holding the state of all keys in raw keyboard mode

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<vgakeyboard.h\>**

**char \*keyboard\_getstate(void);**

## DESCRIPTION

When in raw keyboard mode this routine returns a pointer *buffer* to a static buffer. If the value in *buffer***\[***scancode***\]** is **KEY\_PRESSED** or **KEY\_NOTPRESSED** the key with that *scancode* is pressed or not. Actually **KEY\_PRESSED** is 1 and **KEY\_NOTPRESSED** is 0, s.t. you can use constructs like:

**if(buffer\[SCANCODE\_ENTER\]) {**\
      /\* do something \*/\
 **}**

This is more efficient than calling [**keyboard\_keypressed**(3)](/keyboard_keypressed/3.md) if you want to check for many different keys.

Please note that keyboard events will only be processed when you occasionally call [**keyboard\_update**(3)](/keyboard_update/3.md) or  [**keyboard\_waitforupdate**(3)](/keyboard_waitforupdate/3.md).

[**keyboard\_translatekeys**(3)](/keyboard_translatekeys/3.md) allows certain remap operations which make certain keys (digits, enter) which might have several physical keys show up under the same scancodes.

Here are the supported scancodes. The names of the **#defines** originate from the US keyboard layout, for other countries, they'll refer to the key in the same physical location, but the keycap will have a different inscription. For the list below, add **SCANCODE\_** in front of the names to get the right name for your C source. That means, if it lists **BACKSLASH** below, you shall use **SCANCODE\_BACKSLASH** as symbol in your program. In addition to the names below we also have **SCANCODE\_0** - **SCANCODE\_9**,  **SCANCODE\_KEYPAD0** - **SCANCODE\_KEYPAD9**,  **SCANCODE\_A** - **SCANCODE\_Z**, and  **SCANCODE\_F1** - **SCANCODE\_F12**.

The other key names are **ESCAPE**,  **MINUS**,  **EQUAL**,  **BACKSPACE**,  **TAB**,  **BRACKET\_LEFT**,  **BRACKET\_RIGHT**,  **ENTER**,  **LEFTCONTROL**,  **SEMICOLON**,  **APOSTROPHE**,  **GRAVE**,  **LEFTSHIFT**,  **BACKSLASH**,  **COMMA**,  **PERIOD**,  **SLASH**,  **RIGHTSHIFT**,  **KEYPADMULTIPLY**,  **LEFTALT**,  **SPACE**,  **CAPSLOCK**,  **NUMLOCK**,  **SCROLLLOCK**,  **CURSORUPLEFT**,  **CURSORUP**,  **CURSORUPRIGHT**,  **KEYPADMINUS**,  **CURSORLEFT**,  **CURSORRIGHT**,  **KEYPADPLUS**,  **CURSORDOWNLEFT**,  **CURSORDOWN**,  **CURSORDOWNRIGHT**,  **KEYPADPERIOD**,  **LESS**,  **KEYPADENTER**,  **RIGHTCONTROL**,  **CONTROL**,  **KEYPADDIVIDE**,  **PRINTSCREEN**,  **RIGHTALT**,  **BREAK**,  **BREAK\_ALTERNATIVE**,  **HOME**,  **CURSORBLOCKUP**,  **PAGEUP**,  **CURSORBLOCKLEFT**,  **CURSORBLOCKRIGHT**,  **END**,  **CURSORBLOCKDOWN**,  **PAGEDOWN**,  **INSERT**, and  **REMOVE**.

## SEE ALSO

[**svgalib**(7)](/svgalib/7.md), [**vgagl**(7)](/vgagl/7.md), [**libvga.config**(5)](/libvga.config/5.md), **keytest**(6), **eventtest**(6), [**keyboard\_seteventhandler**(3)](/keyboard_seteventhandler/3.md), [**keyboard\_init**(3)](/keyboard_init/3.md), [**keyboard\_init\_return\_fd**(3)](/keyboard_init_return_fd/3.md), [**keyboard\_close**(3)](/keyboard_close/3.md), [**keyboard\_setdefaulteventhandler**(3)](/keyboard_setdefaulteventhandler/3.md), [**keyboard\_getstate**(3)](/keyboard_getstate/3.md), [**keyboard\_clearstate**(3)](/keyboard_clearstate/3.md), [**keyboard\_translatekeys**(3)](/keyboard_translatekeys/3.md), [**keyboard\_update**(3)](/keyboard_update/3.md), [**keyboard\_waitforupdate**(3)](/keyboard_waitforupdate/3.md), [**vga\_waitevent**(3)](/vga_waitevent/3.md)

## AUTHOR

This manual page was edited by Michael Weller \<eowmob@exp-math.uni-essen.de\>. The exact source of the referenced function as well as of the original documentation is unknown.

It is very likely that both are at least to some extent are due to Harm Hanemaayer \<H.Hanemaayer@inter.nl.net\>.

Occasionally this might be wrong. I hereby asked to be excused by the original author and will happily accept any additions or corrections to this first version of the svgalib manual.